The Best Dessert Ever: Salzburger Nocherl

I know all you chocoholics will disagree with me, but Salzburger Nocherl is the best dessert I have ever had. On my recent Baltic Cruise our waiter, Samrat, decided to order this special treat for our dessert at dinner one night. There were ooohs and ahs all around, as we devoured the soft, warm meringue with lingonberry whipped cream on the side. It was so good, we reordered it for our last night together, as most of us probably won't have it again anytime soon. I don't think I'll make it, although it is easy enough to do. It is just lots of whipping cream, sugar, and egg whites. It is a spectacular looking dessert if you really want to impress your family and friends. I'm giving you the recipe here. I have not made it, but it's not hard, and it's certainly worth it. Let me know if you make it and how you like it. For this lighter-than-air Austrian soufflé, we've added tart lingonberry sauce, but any preserves or jam will work. Ingredients •1/4 cup heavy cream •1/4 cup bottled wild lingonberry sauce or any fruit preserves or jam •5 large egg whites •3/4 teaspoon salt •1/2 cup granulated sugar •1 tablespoon all-purpose flour •3 large egg yolks •1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract •Confectioners sugar for dusting Preparation Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Pour cream into a 9-inch pie plate or shallow gratin dish and spoon lingonberry sauce into cream in dollops (it will be sparse). Put egg whites and salt in a bowl, then set bowl in a larger bowl of hot water and stir whites to warm to room temperature, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from hot water. Beat whites with an electric mixer at high speed until they just form soft peaks, then beat in granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until whites just form stiff, glossy peaks. Sprinkle flour over meringue and fold in gently but thoroughly. Whisk together egg yolks and vanilla in a small bowl, then fold into whites gently but thoroughly. Spoon large dollops of meringue onto cream mixture and bake until golden brown and set, 13 to 15 minutes. If you prefer a less creamy soufflé, bake 5 minutes more. Dust lightly with confectioners sugar and cool 5 minutes before serving. This recipe is from Epicurious.com. They make it as a pie. As you can see from the picture, my dessert was an individual portion. Either way, you're going to love it.

Impress Your Guests With Homemade Napoleons

Ron's favorite dessert is a napoleon. Flaky layers of puffed pastry, whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and an iced topping. How could that be bad? Well, he has certain things he likes in his napoleon and certain things he doesn't. Traditionally, a napoleon has three layers of puffed pastry, and two layers of either chocolate ganashe, pastry cream, or whipped cream. Ron likes whipped cream only, and although he can sometimes find those at St. Tropez, they're not always available. So, I decided to make napoleons, and if I'd known how easy it was (with the help of Pepperidge Farm puffed pastry), I would have done it sooner. I made them with a whipped cream filling only, and from start to finish they took about 45 minutes. Here's what I did: Easy Whipped Cream Napoleons 1 package Pepperidge Farm puffed pastry 1 pint heavy cream, for whipping 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced thin confectioners sugar milk Defrost puffed pastry according to directions, then lay flat and cut into rectangles, according to the size you want your napoleons to be. Lay on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then put another layer of parchment paper on top. Then, put a heavy pan or skillet on top of the entire cookie sheet (beans or rice would work too), to keep the puffed pastry from puffing up. I know, it's supposed to puff up, but you don't want it to for this dessert. You want to keep it flat. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the weight and let the puffed pastry cool. While the pastry is cooking, whip cream, then add about a tablespoon of confectioner's sugar. For the top icing, mix confectioner's sugar that has been sifted with a little milk, until it is smooth and icing like consistency. Assembly: Place one piece of puffed pastry on the bottom, then top with whipped cream and a few sliced strawberries. Repeat with another piece of puffed pastry, whipped cream and strawberries. Top with puffed pastry, then coat with icing mixture. If you want to be fancy like the commercially bought ones, melt some chocolate chips, put in a pastry bag or a plastic bag and cut the corner so you can squeeze it out, then pipe lines on top of the icing. Take a toothpick to make the little swirls. This adds nothing, but is decorative. This is so simple....If you like other fillings, go for it. Make a chocolate ganache or a pastry cream, or if you're really lazy, make an instant vanilla pudding and fill with that. Lots of possibilities, depending on your taste. Mine came out beautiful and delicious. This sounds like a terrible thing for a diabetic to make, but it is really easy to modify. I used a little bit of artificial sweetner to sweeten the whipping cream, and I left off the layer of icing, which Ron didn't particularly like anyway. I just sprinkled a little powdered sugar on top. Very low in sugar. High in fat, but as a special treat I don't think it's all that bad. You non diabetics, go ahead and enjoy this classic dessert.

Employees Now Being Paid By Debit Cards

More employees are getting paid via payroll debit cards issued through their employer these days. It sounds simple, but the reality is that these employees, usually minimum wage earners, get paid even less. Such cards can be packed with fees to withdraw money, meaning some employees can end up making less than the minimum wage once the charges are added. Depending on which bank the debit card comes from, the employee is charged fees for initiating activity, transferring the money to another account, checking the card to see your balance, and an inactivity charge. One worker in Milwaukee, who makes $7.25 an hour at a local McDonald's, said fees associated with his JPMorgan Chase payroll card take $40-$50 a month out of his paycheck. Who wins? The banks, of course! The use of payroll cards is rapidly growing. Nearly $43 billion will be loaded onto these cards this year, and up to $68 billion is projected to be loaded onto debit cards by 2017. Companies that use the payroll debit cards are typically companies where employees earn minimum wage. McDonald's Taco Bell, Walgreen and Wal-Mart are just some of the companies using debit cards. In some cases workers have a choice in how they want to get paid: check, direct deposit or payroll debit card. In many situations, the employee is automatically enrolled into the debit card plan, and if he wants to opt out, there is a great deal of paper work involved. In other words, the employers are trying their best to have their employees take the debit card as payment for their work. The problem is, they are getting much less then they have actually earned. Would you go to work and upon getting your weekly pay, turn over $5-$10 to your company just to get your paycheck? I think not. These fees are earning millions for the banks, so I don't know if this practice is going to change anytime soon. It seems that even though we all believe the banks' practices are at the very least immoral, very little is done to protect consumers. Remember how many years banks collected egregious interest fees on credit cards before anything was done? Some workers are speaking up. A young woman filed a law suit against her local McDonald's for not allowing her to get paid by check or direct deposit. They told her the only way she could be paid was by debit card. This is now a class action law suit, so we'll see what happens. Many of the employers offering the payroll debit card do offer other methods of payment, but they don't talk about it, and typically enroll everyone in the debit card plan. People have got to stand up for themselves and complain. This is just not right. The rich get richer (the banks) and the poor get poorer. (minimum wage employees). Thanks to all the investigative reporters and employees who have brought this to our attention. It is just plain wrong to have to pay to get your own money. I hope our inactive congress will look into this, and make this practice illegal. How long it will take is the big question.

Cruising The Baltic Sea: The Good and The Bad

I just returned from a 10 day cruise from Stockholm to Dover, with stops in Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn (Estonia) and St. Petersburg. In celebration of my mom's 90th birthday, we took the cruise together. It was memorable. We were on a Crystal Cruise, so it was automatically good. Crystal tends to every detail. They think of things to do for you before you can even think of them. For example, when returning from a day of excursions on shore, they have juice, tea or water available for you before returning to the ship. They also offer you a cold towel! Little touches such as these make cruising with Crystal a six star experience. After day one, every waiter that serves you knows your name and what you like. Joe, our breakfast waiter greeted us each day with a cheerful "Good morning Dorothy, good morning Susie," and two hot cups of decaf coffee. Samrat, our headwaiter for dinner, frequently ordered extra goodies for our table. The preparation of escargots was so good that we had them several times as an additional appetizer for dinner. And have you ever eaten Salzburger Nocherl? Neither had I, but after having it once I couldn't resist asking for it again. I'll explain it's deliciousness some other time, but take my word, it is pure heaven. The other very good thing about cruising in general, is the wonderful people you meet. We had the most fabulous table for dinner each night, everyone very different, but the mix made a group that was full of laughter. A talent agent from New York, a retired banker from Corona del Mar, a dance host who worked on Crystal, the Mayor of Corpus Christie, Texas, two wonderful widows from New York, and us. We had a grand time, and many at our table are already planning a reunion cruise together. The bad part of cruising is the weight gain. I made the unfortunate decision of weighing myself on day 6, and it showed a gain of about 6 pounds!!! Could that possibly be right, I wondered? I eased up on the eating for the last few days, and when all was said and done, I had a gain of about 3 pounds. That's bad, but it was worth it. The only other bad thing I could say about this cruise is the immigration process in Russia, but that is not the fault of Crystal, and everyone must deal with it. They need to personally inspect every passenger. Lucky our ship was small and only had about 950 passengers or we might still be standing in line. We went on shore excursions in Russia, as that is the only way to see St. Petersburg unless you get your own very expensive visa. We visited the Hermitage, Catherine's Palace, saw most of the city by bus, and as the grand finale, went to a performance of Swan Lake. What a treat. Now I'm home again, back to reality, back to eating well, and hoping that those extra pounds will soon be off. It's great to travel, but there's nothing like home. So happy to be home with Ron and Pepper. Oh, I almost forgot to put in a plug for Air New Zealand. They are awesome. If you're not using mileage to purchase your ticket, check out Air New Zealand. (they are United partners). Their price is much less than most other carriers, and their business is class is fantastic. I slept about 5 hours on the way home, thanks to a 180 degree bed, with mattress and quilt. A perfect way to start and end a European holiday.

Ways To Stop Wasting Food

I sound like a broken record, but with Americans wasting up to40% of the food they buy, I think this is a topic that needs to be revisited. The average family of four wastes $2,275 on food that is thrown out annually. That could pay for a nice family vacation, or several weeks of summer camp for the kids. It's easy to make a few changes that will reduce the amount of food you waste. You may not get down to 0% waste, put you can surely cut your waste in half. Here are a few tips. 1. Buy just what you need. If you're making a stir fry and need cabbage as I did last week, buy 1/2 or even 1/4 of a cabbage, especially if you have no other need for cabbage. Produce managers are happy to cut melons and cabbages, even things like butternut squash. 2. First in, first out. Rotate the foods in your refrigerator and freezer. This is something I'm not very good at, but it does help you use up things like yogurt, which do expire. 3. Buy from the bulk bins. Spices, nuts, dried fruits and more can be found in bulk. Buy just what you need. If you rarely use corriander, what are you going to do with a big container? Buy just what you need in the bulk bins, and be sure to label carefully. I recently bought raisins in bulk for $1.99 a pound. Purchasing them in a prepackaged box would have cost twice as much. 4. Stock up on produce and fruit that is in season. If you can't finish the strawberries you bought, use them in a smoothie or make some strawberry jam or strawberry butter. Or, freeze them and use them later. Don't throw them out. 5. Use smoothies or vegetable soup for everything that's leftover. I recently made a smoothie with spinach, kale, mint, banana, strawberries and juice. (I used Lipton green tea drink as the liquid). It was delicious. Veggies that are getting ready to be thrown out can be thrown in a vegetable soup. 6. Things that you used to discard, like carrot tops, celery stubs, beet greens (I love them, they're like spinach) can be save for soup stock. 7. If you need just a little bit of something, go to the salad bar at your local grocery store. For example, if you need just a few hearts of palm, buy them at the salad bar. Then, you're not faced with leftovers. 8. Finally, reconstituting leftovers into a new and different meal. For example, have roasted chicken one night. Then, use the leftover chicken for a chicken stir fry, a chinese chicken salad, or a cheese and chicken quesedilla. I'm working hard to reduce the amount of waste in my home. As Americans, we are so used to large portions and enormous waste. I can't remember the last time I went out to eat and didn't come home with a doggie bag. Since I don't like to waste it, last night's dinner becomes tomorrow's lunch, and if I don't eat it then, it becomes dinner for Pepper. He loves my leftovers.

Nectarine Pomegranate Summer Salad

One of the things I like best about summer is the many fresh, local fruits we have available. In the age of the global economy, we have available all fruits year round, but there is nothing like a fresh picked peach or nectarine from the farmers market. I bought some nectarines last week, and when they were finally ripe, found a new way to eat them. I made a delicious salad for dinner. Here's what I made, and a few possible variations. I hope you enjoy. Nectarine Pomegranate Summer Salad 1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated 1 ripe nectarine 2 T. fresh pomegranate seeds (available at Trader Joe's) fresh ricotta cheese (available at Trader Joe's and far superior to the supermarket variety) Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing (I used the bottled dressing from Trader Joe's but you could make your own) I made the salad for two, and here's how I assembled it. I took enough lettuce leaves for two portions and put them in a mixing bowl. I cut up one nectarine in thin slices and put it in the bowl. I added about 4 tablespoons of pomegranate seeds, and just enough dressing to coat. I did not want a heavy amount of dressing, so start with a little, then mix the salad to coat all leaves. Arrange salad nicely on individual plates, then take three small spoons of the ricotta cheese and put the dollops of cheese around the plate. Voila. You have a wonderful nutritious summer salad. You can vary this in several ways. Use raspberries or blueberries instead of pomegranate, and use peaches instead of nectarines. I love the ricotta cheese, so stick with that. It was a hot summer night, and I wanted to keep the meal light, so I added a boneless chicken breast, sliced, as an accompaniment to the salad. I took a large boneless chicken breast, covered it with a light coating of reduced fat mayonnaise, then took a mixture of panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and covered the chicken breast, top and bottom in the bread crumb mixture. I browned it on both sides with a little butter in a fry pan on top of the stove, then finished it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. I let it rest for five minutes, then sliced it. The chicken was moist and flavorful. Just delicious. The whole meal, from start to finish, took 30 minutes. Hope you enjoy.

My Favorite Summertime Drink

I love the flavors of summer, especially the variety of fresh fruits. There's nothing better on a hot day than a cool glass of lemonade. Everyone loves to make fresh lemonade, but unless you've got a lemon tree, it's very expensive and a lot of trouble. This lemonade drink is so cool and refreshing that you'll want to drink it all year long. Get your blender out. Summer Lemonade Drink 2 cups lemonade (I use the organic lemonade from Trader Joe's, but if you really want to make it a no calorie drink, use the Crystal Light Lemonade) 10 mint leaves crushed ice Combine all ingredients in the blender, and blend until smooth. Enjoy.

Who is Sojourner Truth?

A few months ago I went to lunch at the home of my friend Charlene. I met her over a year ago, and we became fast friends. Her husband passed away about 10 months ago, and she's had a difficult time. She invited six friends to lunch, and I did not realize it at the time, but the date of the luncheon was exactly six months since his death. She wanted to thank the six of us for being there for her during a difficult time. I had not met any of her friends prior to the luncheon, but found each and every one of them very interesting. One woman was a sculptor who worked in bronze. She showed us pictures of some of her work. She's a very talented artist. Right now she's working on a life size bronze of Sojourner Truth. "Who is Sojourner Truth," I asked. She gave us a short history lesson, and now I'll give it to you. Sojourner Truth was born in 1797 on the Colonel Johannes Hardenbergh estate in Ulter County, a Dutch settlement in upstate New York. Her given name was Isabella Baumfree. She was one of 13 siblings, all salves on the Hardenbergh plantation. She spoke only Dutch until she was sold from her family around the age of nine. Because of the cruel treatment she suffered at the hands of a later master, she learned to speak English quickly, but had a Dutch accent for the rest of her life. She was first sold around the age of 9 when her second master died in 1808. She was sold to John Neely, along with a herd of sheep, for $100. Isabella was beaten frequently for the miscommunications, she speaking only Dutch, the family speaking only English. She later said she was whipped with "a bundle of rods, prepared in the embers, and bound together with cords." It was during this time that she began to find refuge in religion. 18 months later she was sold again, to the Dumont family. Isabella suffered many hardships at the hands of Mrs. Dumont. She does not specify exactly what the cruel and harsh treatment was, but historians have surmised that it might have been sexual abuse or harassment. Around 1815 she fell in love with a fellow slave, Robert. They were not permitted to see each other, but secretly tried to do so. Their relationship was discovered, Robert was dragged off and never seen again. Isabella was forced to marry an older slave, by which she had four children. In 1799 New York began to legislate the gradual abolition of slaves. Dumont had promised Isabella emancipation, but he later reneged. Isabella had had enough, and she ran off and escaped. She settled in New York City, but after losing her savings, resolved to make her way as a traveling preacher. In 1843 she changed her name to Sojourner Truth. She spoke on the Union's behalf as well as for enlisting black troops for the cause of freeing slaves. After the Civil War ended she continued working to help the newly freed slaves through the Freedman's Relief Association. In 1870 she began campaigning for the federal government to provide former slaves with land in the new west. She fell ill in 1874, but continued to campaign for free land for former slaves. This was her last mission in life. She was an extraordinary woman for her time, for any time for that matter. Not only did I enjoy a delicious lunch at Charlene's (the panna cotta was delicious), but I learned all about Sojourner Truth, a truly extraordinary woman. I hope you have learned something from reading this blog today.

Do You Remember EST?

Back in the 1970's everyone was trying to find themselves. Various forms of psychology became popular. People were into self improvement, and self help books became the rage. Every year, a new form of therapy became the "in" thing. Remember when the Beatles went to India to meditate with the Maharishi? Other Hollywood stars headed to Tibet or India to find themselves. Others went north of LA to the retreat of Werner Erhard, for a weekend retreat, and hopefully a self transformation. I know many people that went to Erhard's workshops in the 1970's seeking fulfillment, peace, and satisfaction. There was always a lot of secrecy surrounding his training. There were rigid rules that had to be adhered to, and little or nothing that went on in the training was shared with the outside world. Did the workshop participants find what they were looking for? Some would probably say they did, but most did not, and moved on to the next psych fad. Werner Erhard says that he had a transformational experience, that broke through the despair and sadness at having wasted his life, and set him free. I'm not exactly sure what this all means, but if it makes people feel better and happier, I'm all for it. Fast forward to the 21st century and we have a newer program in personal development, based on many of the principals of Werner Erhard. Landmark Education was founded in 1991, and as of 2005, Landmark stated that they had 200,000 participants in all of the courses annually. Landmark purchased certain rights to a presentation known as The Forum from Werner Erhard. Since it's purchase, the name and content have been revised, however the coursework and pedagogy evolved from the work of Erhard. The Landmark Forum takes place over three consecutive days and an evening session. The topics discussed include: there is a big difference between what actually happened in a person's life and the meaning or interpretation they made up about it, people can transform by simply declaring a new way of being instead of trying to change themselves in comparison to the past, course participants are encouraged to call people they know during the course who they are incomplete with and either be in communication with the other person or be responsible for their own behavior, course attendees bring other people to learn about and voluntarily register for an upcoming Landmark Forum (recruit new members). Landmark is the 21century version of EST, with a few new twists and turns. It didn't make much sense to me back in the 1970's (I never went), and it doesn't make any more sense now. For me, the best way to solve personal problems, find strategies that will lead to greater success, or improve myself in any way, is to talk to a friend. I started walking with Fran about 8 years ago, and we have walked twice a week for the last 8 years. There's not too much she doesn't know about me, or me about her. She has been my answer to EST, Landmark, psychiatry, or any other self improvement program. A great listener, non judgmental, with great ideas. Thanks, Fran, for being my personal self help program.

Summer Fun With The Family

It's been a whirlwind several months, with wedding plans, showers and luncheons. David and Tracy are finally married, the out of town guests have gone home, and we can all get back to our daily lives. No gifts, no luncheons, no big parties for a while, PLEASE. David and Tracy are so happy. We call them "the lovebirds." The wedding went off without a hitch, everyone looked gorgeous, had a great time, and I was relieved when it was over. Even when you're not involved in the day to day planning of a wedding, as the mother of the groom, you're still thinking about flowers, food, tables, music, and hoping everyone will have a good time. Everyone did, especially Ron and me. We not only loved seeing our son and his new bride so happy, but we had a chance to see many of David's friends from high school and college, some whom we hadn't seen in many years. Naka, John, Austin, Andrew, Lance, Eric, and John (I hope I didn't forget anyone) were just some of the young men we had a chance to reconnect with, and meeting many of David's newer friends was also a treat. It's summertime, Del Mar racing season is in full swing, and everyone wants to be in San Diego. It's paradise here, especially in the summer. David and Tracy came for a short visit, and stayed in a nearby hotel. Unfortunately we have only a single bed in our guest room, so the only overnight visitor we ever have is my mom. We spent an evening looking at wedding pictures with David and Tracy. From 600 pictures, it's hard to narrow it down to just 60, but that's just what they'll have to do to make their wedding album. We went to Phil's Barbeque for dinner, then spent the rest of the evening pouring over pictures. The next day David and Tracy went to the races. They won every race! That never happened before, even when David was up on all the horses and jockeys. Maybe you have a better chance of winning when you don't know too much. Saturday morning we all got together at Pipe's, along with our longtime friend Les. Les has known David since he was born, so he really enjoyed seeing him again and meeting Tracy. We ate and talked for a long time, until the stares of diners waiting for a table drove us out. What fun it was to just sit and schmooze! It's hard when your family is far away. Even though LA is just two hours away, it's always a planned trip to get together. No more drop ins, like we used to have. But we talk all the time, so we feel connected. However, nothing beats a big hug, and an hour spent in the California sunshine, talking face to face about anything and everything. I can't wait until the next time we're all together. I almost forgot to mention the wonderful treats David and Tracy brought for us. Homemade chocolate chip cookies and a strawberry loaf. Both were delicious. I told them not to bring us gifts when they come to visit (I'm uncluttering my house, not acquiring more), but I'll never turn down food. Thanks, guys.

Moonlight Beach: Sun and Sandwiches

My favorite summer day is Wednesday. That's the day I meet a group of friends (anywhere from 6-15 women) at Moonlight Beach for about an hour of old time fun in the water, then an hour of lunch on the shore of my favorite beach. Too bad the weather has been so crummy this summer. First it's hot an humid (that's ok for the beach) with nice warm ocean currents which are just what I like. We had some beautiful sunny days with 70 degree water temperatures, and had a ball riding wave after wave, until we were exhausted. I must hang on to my boogie board for dear life, because often the next day after boogie boarding my biceps are sore! It's worth it. We went from this beautiful weather to several weeks of cloudy weather, cool temperatures and a tremendous drop in the water temperature. Yesterday the water temperature was down to 60 degrees and I didn't have a wetsuit. No boogie boarding for me in that water. My feet, legs and thighs were numb, so I decided to pass on getting all the way in. I'm hoping for warmer water in August and September. We still have a great time at the beach, even if it is cold. Last week we were literally wrapped in towels to keep warm, yet we still managed to stay and talk for about an hour. Most of us bring a picnic lunch to the beach, but several women like to buy something at the snack bar. (that would be you, Barbara). With the remodeling of Moonlight Beach, the snack bar was the last thing to open, and with the hundreds of beachgoers every day, there was no concession stand until late July. However, they did have the rental area open, where you can rent beach chairs, boogies boards, water toys, and purchase sun screen and other beach related necessities. Finally, the snack bar has opened, and it was well worth waiting for. I guess you'd call it a gourmet snack bar. They offer lots of burgers and sandwiches and wraps, all in the $7.50-$8.50 range, and lots of drinks. Lattes, smoothies, frappucinos are available, in addition to sodas of all kinds. What this snack bar doesn't have is the old fashioned beach food we remember from our youth. No corn dogs, no cotton candy, no candy apples. This is healthy beach food, and it's good to know that if you forget to bring your lunch you have some healthy choices. A little pricey, but hey, this is 2013, and a plain cup of coffee is close to $2.00, so an $8.00 burger at the beach doesn't sound so expensive. The Junior Lifeguards are still at Moonlight Beach, and although these kids bring a sack lunch everyday, they still have plenty of money to buy extra snacks. Sometimes in the afternoon I see them pooling what little money they have left to chip in together and buy something. Moms, you've gotta send your kids to the beach with more spending money! Cloudy or sunny, warm or cool water, there's nowhere like the beach, and we need to remember that, as so many people do not have the luxury of driving 10 minutes to such a beautiful spot. We do live in paradise.

My Personal Journal

Last week Ron celebrated two years of freedom. It was on July 27, 2011, that he was released from Taft, after serving 19 months. Initially there was great anticipation, great excitement, and great expectation about what was to come. A coming home party, lots of phone calls and visits from well wishers for the first few weeks, and then reality set in. No one will hire you when they do a background check on you, some people that were friends before Taft, are still friends, but from afar. Others don't understand what you've been through, and if your behavior is unusual because something sets you off, they give up on you. But others embrace you and realize how hard life is after incarceration. There are plenty of new friends too, and we learn to cherish all friendships, old and new. Since Ron's been home, one of my jobs has been "Chief Cheerleader." Here's what I mean. For the past 40 years Ron has had many important jobs, been well respected and always was the "go to" man when something had to be done. Since he has returned from Taft, getting back his confidence has been his biggest obstacle. We were discussing this the other day, and he was commenting on how many jobs he had applied for (maybe 50) and how many he had gotten a call back from (0). He fell into his air conditioning job purely by accident. Our computer expert Kevin, was here and mentioned that he worked part time selling air conditioning. I said, "Ron could do that." Kevin recommended him for the job, and he's been working there for over a year. His other work, umpiring, was something he was doing before he went to Taft, and luckily they took him back. A few small accounting jobs have come his way, but really, no one wants to hire a felon. So, my job is to try to boost his confidence and encourage him to keep trying. Overall, life is good. We are both healthy and very happy with each other. The roadblocks Ron faces in getting work are difficult to get by, but with perserverance perhaps something will turn up. I have always thought of America as the land of second chances. I look at politicians, actors and athletes that do reprehensible things and are soon back at work. If you're famous and do something wrong, you are soon forgiven and given another chance. If you're not famous, a different standard applies. I was watching CNN a few days ago, and listened to Marion Barry (former politician from Washington, D.C.) talk about second chances, referring specifically to Andrew Weiner and Bob Filner. If they weren't in the spotlight, you'd never hear from them again. I have always likened our lives to a roller coaster ride. Our life has been filled with lots of ups and downs, twists and turns, highs and lows. We are still chugging our way up a steep incline, and although the ride is slow, it is a gratifying ride, a journey we're both happy to be on. I just decided I'm changing my life analogy from roller coaster to stock market chart. Look at a stock market chart and tell me that isn't a chart of how life goes. Each day has highs and lows, and most of the time the chart is trending upward. Sometimes, however, life takes a bad turn and you spiral down. Ron's life is on an uptick. Our new friend Richard was over last week and Ron was lamenting the fact that he had lost 19 months of his life to incarceration. He and Richard both said the same thing, "Ron will just have to live 19 months longer." (to make up for lost time). Next month I plan to tell you a few of the little unwritten rules that prisoners have, that become so much a habit that after they're home, they still surface. This is what I meant by unusual behavior, and everyone doesn't know or understand that they were caused by incarceration. For right now, let me tell you briefly about Steve Czifra. Steve Czifra was a young man when he was arrested for drug use and distribution, and received an 8 year sentence. While incarcerated, he spit on a guard, and was given an additional 4 years to his sentence, and 4 years of his sentence was to be served in solitary confinement. He is out of prison now, is 36 years old, and a student at UCBerkley. He was on the Chris Hays show "ALL IN" last week. He is working toward abolishing solitary confinement, as inhumane. He talks about his time in prison, and likens his current condition to PTSD. He never touched another human being for 4 years, his sleep patterns were disrupted, he lacked physical or mental stimulation, and was completely dependant on guards for food. That does something to the psyche. He was saying that learning is so difficult for him now. Whereas normal people read a book once, he has to read things 2-3 times to get the meaning. His mind wanders, he can't focus. It must be very frustrating. He is remarkable, and I hope he can make a difference, because I too, feel for most inmates, solitary is not called for. So much to say on the subject of prison reform, but I'll leave that for another time.

Anqi Means Elegance And Fine Food

For years while living in Los Angeles, Crustacean in Beverly Hills was one of my favorite restaurants. Owned by Helene An, it was a blend of Vietnamese and French food. It was elegant beyond belief, and attracted an equally elegant crowd of diners. The prices were out of sight, but for a special evening out there was no more special restaurant in Los Angeles. Garlic crab and garlic noodles were my two favorite dishes, and although I hadn't had them in years, when I heard the name Crustacean the other day, my mouth started watering for their garlic noodles. I was at the dog park talking to Angela, a young woman whom I had recently met there. She started talking about her husband Nick, who was a sommelier at a fancy restaurant in San Diego, but is now looking for a new position. I don't know how we got on the subject of Crustacean in Beverly Hills, but we did, and through the course of the conversation I found out that Crustacean has another restaurant in South Coast Plaza called Anqi. It is run by some of the daughters of Helene An, and they are doing a fine job. I asked Charlene, another dog park friend and foodie, if she'd like to try Anqi for lunch. She was delighted to join me, and on a sunny Wednesday, we headed north. All I can say is WOW. Anqi is one of the prettiest restaurants I've ever seen. It is simple Asian décor, but with such elegance! You look in one room and are visually delighted, then turn the corner to see a new and different décor that is equally appealing. As beautiful as the restaurant was visually, the taste and service were just as good. Service is impeccable. The servers are helpful without being overbearing. The food is a pleasure to look at, almost too pretty to eat. We had three items, and ate family style. Of course we had the garlic noodles, although one bowl is never enough. They are so incredible tasty you could eat until you pop. But we refrained, as we also had tempura shrimp, which was served with butter lettuce(to wrap the shrimp in)glass noodles, pickled veggies, and a mild chili sauce. Excellent. Finally, we had a grilled calamari salad, with butter lettuce. My plate was empty after all this food, my stomach was full, and I was HAPPY. I can't wait to go again and try some other dishes. The menu also includes some sushi rolls, Vietnamese sandwiches, and some Chinese dishes like beef and vegetables, but always with a twist. If you're not up to sitting in the fancy restaurant, try the noodle bar, next to the entrance to Bloomingdales. You can sit and have a bowl of noodles for $10 and be very happy. I hope you get a chance to go to Anqi next time you visit South Coast Plaza.